Electric lamp holders



Feb. 14, 1956 s. RoGow ET AL 2,734,996

ELECTRIC LAMP HOLDERS Filed Feb. 5, 1953 HHH.

"IH H1 INVENTOR. 4

ATTORNEY nited States Patent-'ce Patented Feb. 14, 1956 ELECTRIC LAMP HOLDERS Seymour Rogow, South Orange, and Aaron R. Berman,

Glen Ridge, N. J., assignors to Keaton Rubber Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 5, 1953, Serial No. 335,204 1 claim. (ci. 24o-522s) This invention relates to electric lamp holders especially or the molded type including handle, plug-in, Switch and socket portions all arranged in a single piece longitudinal array.

One object of the invention is to provide a single piece lamp holder molded at minimum cost from a minimum size mold and permitting withdrawal from the mold in longitudinal direction.

Another object of the invention is a lamp holder permitting easy insertion or removal of replaceable electrical elements such as socket and switch parts in or from their appropriate cavities without disturbing the contacts, plugs, wire and any other parts provided in the plug-in or handle portions.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide the lamp holder with a twin cone formed of a switch cone and plug-in cone which have a common basis and which form, at this basis', a relatively large space angle, while the individual tops of the cones form each a relatively small space angle around the axis of the lamp holder. In this way a relatively large and solid bulge is created which forms the base for a relatively thin walled socket portion on the top of the holder, and for a relatively thick walled handle portion on the bottom of the holder, which are both cylindrical and form one unit with the double cone bulge.

Furthermore in accordance with the invention the switch openings are arranged extending perpendicular to the axis of the switch cone and having extensions parallel to the axis, forming open ended recesses in the outer wall of the switch cone; at the same time there are provided through that wall and these recesses, slots extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the holder and aligned with corresponding slots in the wall of a relatively thin walled socket portion while the plug-in openings extend in a direction perpendicular to the inclination of the plug-in cone.

These and other objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the drawing annexed herewith in which- Figs. l, 2, and 3 in front, side and top views, respectively, represent a lamp holder embodying certain features of the invention. Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. l along lines 4 4.

Fig. 5 represents schematically a mold, consisting of part 20 of a mold, permitting the simultaneous molding of a great number of lamp holders.

In Fig. l, the lamp holder is shown to consist of molded rubber including handle portion 1, plug-in portion 2, adapted to carry, but not necessarily carrying one plug-in portion, two plug-in portions (as shown) or no plug-in portion at all, switch portion 3 and socket portion 4.

Opening 5 passing through practically the entire lamp holder serves to connect a cable with certain contact, socket and switch parts (not shown) arranged in otherwise well known manner in appropriate cavities and po- 2 sitions within plug-in portion 2, switch portion 3 and socket portion 4 respectively.

Handle 1 is shown to be of substantially cylindrical or slightly conical shape so as to permit withdrawal from a vertical type mold in the direction of longitudinal axis 6 of the lamp holder.

In order to facilitate gripping, the outer surface of handle portion 1 is provided with longitudinal projections or ridges schematically indicated at 7 and extending peripherally around the outer surface of handle portion 1 in a direction substantially parallel to axis 6 of the lamp holder.

Thus effective gripping of the handle is assured without affecting facility of withdrawal of the entire lamp holder from the mold.

Thickening 8 provided at the lower end of handle portion 1 does not oppose such withdrawal because the thickened portion has been found elastic enough temporarily to give way during such withdrawal.

Plug-in and switch portions 2 and 3 are of substantially conical form joined together at their bases forming a wide angle with the adjoining cylindrical handle and socket portions 1 and 4 respectively.

The angles which conical portions 2 and 3 form with handle and socket portions 1 and 4 respectively or with holder axis 6-which may be the same as shown or different as requiredare less than 90.

Plug-in portion 2 is provided with two diametrical plug-in projections schematically indicated at 10, 11 forming round, at pieces extending substantially in a plane forming the same small angle with axis 6 of the holder as the entire plug-in portion 2 forms with that holder axis.

Surfaces 10 and 11 contain each a pair of slots schematically indicated at 12, 13 and 14, 15 respectively behind which metal contacts (not shown) permitting connection with cable, socket and switch, are placed at approprate points and in cavities as is otherwise well known in the art.

It is also well known in the art of such electric lampholders to insert through slots such as schematically indicated at 12, 13, 14, 15 plugs or prongs connecting other electrical equipment to cable, switch and lamp elements carried by the lamp holder.

However, in accordance with the invention in order to facilitate withdrawal of the lamp holder and especially of the portions surrounding slots 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively, from the mold, and in the direction of axis 6, slots 12-15 are shaped as indicated especially in Fig. 4 in section to extend not only in a direction perpendicular to the plane of surfaces 10, Il to permit insertion and withdrawal of connecting plug prongs-but also in a direction parallel to holder axis 6.

In this way those parts of the mold which serve to shape slots 11, 12 and 13, 14 respectively will not oppose the withdrawal of the lampholder from the mold in axial direction; there will be practically no resistance except perhaps a small elastic deformation of the material surrounding these slots.

Similarly, in accordance with the invention, the switch portion 3 of the lamp holder is provided with diametric slots 16, 17 arranged on the outside of switch portion 3 and serving to receive and protect from accidental darnage switch buttons or any other switching elements (not shown) to be operated by the fingers' of the hand gripping handle portion 1, and which serve to connect the lamp mounted in socket portion 4 to the cable carried by the lamp holder.

These button receiving slots-16, 17 are open at the upper end thereof and closed at the lower end and extend substantially in a direction parallel to axis 6 of the lamp holder.

In this way all the operative parts of the lampholder are so designed as to permit withdrawal in axial or vertical direction of the molded rubber from the mold without anything but a slight elastic deformation of the rubber. i

Socket holder 4 is of substantially cylindrical shape and of slightly larger diameter than handle portion l, also to facilitate withdrawal. The upperedge of socket portion 4 is slightly thickened at 17' so as to provide a protection against Wear and tear. v

It is a further feature of the invention in order to facilitate insertion of the socket into the socket portion to mold into socket portion 4 a pair of diametrical longitudinal slots such as schematically indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 at 18, 19. Molded-in slots dispense with cutting Operations which previously had to be applied after molding.

Fig. 5 shows schematically a part of the mold 20 per mitting the simultaneous molding or withdrawal of a great number of molded lamp holders 21 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of the mold, and substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension or axis of the lampholder.

We claim:

An electric lamp holder consisting of a single piece of resilient material comprising handle, plug-in, switch and socket portions in longitudinal array, said handle and socket portions being each of substantially cylindrical shape, and said switch and plug-in portions being each of substantially conical shape joinedk together at their bases so as to form a double cone with the two cones forming with each other at their common bases a relatively large space angle and each cone forming at its top a relatively small space angle around the axis .of

Vsid' longitudinal array; said plug-in and switch cones having each diametrical openings; each of said plug-in openings extending through the plug-in cone in a direction substantially perpendicular to the inclination of said plug-in cone; and each of said switch openings extending through the switch cone, first, in a direction substantially perpendicular to its axis and, thereafter, at the outside of said switch cone into an open-ended recess formed in a portion of the Wall of said switch cone;

said open-ended recess extending in a direction substantially parallel to the axis vof said switch cone and having a slot extending through a portion of the wall of said switch cone and along said recess in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said switch cone; said socket portion having a wall thickness substantially smaller than the overall Wall thickness of the two cones joined 1 together; and said socket portion having diametrical slots in its wall extending substantially in the direction of its axis and aligned with the slots through said recesses in said switch cone so as to permit said socket portion together with an adjoining portion of said switch cone to be opened up substantially without affecting said plugin cone and handle portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,000 Scribner Nov. 14, 1933 1,883,736 Cotterman Oct. 18, 1932 2,413,823 Gits Jan. 7, 1947 2,554,565 Fike May 29, 1951 2,592,296 Kutik Apr. 8, 1952 2,653,219 Popp Sept. 22, 1953 2,677,753 Heinz May 4, 1954 

